File that idea under wishful thinking. It rarely works, and it’s always a bad idea.
The reason: Even if the public is tolerant of the initial problem, it is furious if someone tries to conceal it.
Google isn’t the first to be ensnared by this attitude. But it is the most prominent recent example.
After discovering Google+ had a data breach that spanned three years, the company kept it secret for more than six months until it was uncovered by the media. The delay reportedly was recommended by legal and policy staff who feared attracting regulatory scrutiny and comparisons to Facebook’s failure to protect consumers in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The result: Its parent company Alphabet Inc. was forced to issue a public mea culpa and enact sweeping privacy protections. It also shuttered Google+, which was the root of the problem.
The underlying issue is transparency — or lack thereof.
When you’re caught concealing one thing, people will wonder what else you’re hiding. This affects organizations of all sizes in all industries, from top-tier global companies to local firms and non-profits to everyone in between — and it isn’t limited to data breaches.
Confidential information has always found ways of slipping into the public arena. In the past, it was often a cumbersome process of stealing or making copies of paper files.
Today, digital data theft is so frequent it seems commonplace. It has created an entirely new industry — security consultants to insulate you and legal and communication teams to deal with the blowback after it happens.
A web of national and state laws dictate disclosure requirements — who must be told, how, when, and under what circumstances. Those rules define the minimum you must do.
What you must weigh is the value of doing more. The more you do, the better the optics. Your goal is to reassure that the problem has been fixed, that consumers are being protected, and that you are in control of the situation.
The sooner you do it, the more consumers will perceive you’ve got their best interests at heart. Conversely, the longer you remain silent, the more you’ll lose their trust and confidence.
You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Check out A Board Member’s Guide to Crisis PR and A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR (Second Edition) on Amazon.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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